A brave woman has relived the horrifying moment her jealous boyfriend stabbed her with a machete before going on a drug-fuelled rampage
Chelsey Morris, 21, had been in a relationship with Ryan Abbott, 28, for three-and-a-half years when he launched the vicious attack on her in his flat.
Abbott appeared “jealous” and ran at Chelsey with the blade – stabbing her in the back.
He tried to stab her in the head but Chelsey raised her arm and he slashed her finger – leaving her needing surgery to repair the damage.
Chelsey felt like a “hostage” and pleaded for him to let her go before he ran out the house and continued his rampage down the street.
The topless thug terrorised the neighbourhood – smashing doors and car windows – causing over £2,500 worth of damage.
Abbott, of Widnes, was sentenced to four years after admitting wounding, affray, possessing a knife and five counts criminal damage.
He was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court in June 2020 following the incident in March 2020.
Chelsey, from Runcorn, Cheshire, said: “When he stabbed me the pain was unbelievable.
“I honestly thought: ‘This is it – I’m going to die. He ran off into the street and I had no idea what he was going to do.
“I was terrified about going to court and facing him but I’m really proud of myself for doing it.”
Chelsey met Abbott through friends when she was 15 and he was 19.
They started a relationship when Chelsey was 17 and she moved into his flat in January 2017.
Things got off to a good start but she started to see another side to Abbott as their relationship progressed.
Chelsey said: “He was always quite protective – he didn’t like going places where other men might look at me.
“In the end it was easier to stay in than argue so I lost touch with a lot of friends.
“He had a rocky relationship with drugs but I tried to stay out of that – I tried to see the best in him.
“I spent most of my time in his flat and it got incredibly lonely.”
Three years into their relationship, Chelsey started applying for jobs and landed one at the local chip shop.
She said: “I was sick of feeling cooped up and I was so excited when I got the job.
“Ryan wasn’t pleased about it and that was the final straw for me. I packed up and moved back in with my parents.
“I was terrified to leave him – I didn’t know what he would do.”
Chelsey went out for dinner to celebrate the new job in March 2019 when Abbott turned up.
She agreed to go back to his flat to talk when he emerged from the kitchen holding a machete.
He grabbed Chelsey and stabbed her in the back before smashing up the flat.
He tried to stab Chelsey in the head, but she blocked her face with her arm – and the blade slashed through her finger instead.
“He started quizzing me about who I was with and what I was doing,” Chelsey said. “Suddenly he ran at me with the knife and it all happened so quickly.
“The pain was unbelievable and I remember screaming at the top of my lungs. I felt like a hostage and was begging for him to let me go.
“I lost a lot of blood and everything went pretty hazy before he ran off into the street. I honestly thought I was going to die.”
Chelsey called her friend during the attack who arrived to take her Whiston Hospital, Merseyside.
She was given two stitches to the wound in her back and needed surgery to repair the damage to her ring finger on her right hand.
Abbott continued his drug-fuelled rampage through the neighbourhood and the police received 11 phone calls from concerned residents.
The topless thug jumped on cars, emptied wheelie bins and smashed windows and doors in Francis Close.
He caused £2,500 of damage to housing association properties and £300 of damage to a car.
At Liverpool Crown Court in June 2020, Ryan admitted affray, possessing a knife, a racially aggravated public order offence and five counts of criminal damage.
He denied wounding with intent and an alternative count of wounding, but later admitted wounding – the lesser of the two offences.
He was jailed for four years and on his release is subject to a five year restraining order against Chelsey.
She said: “I’ve struggled badly with my mental health since the attack.
“I wasn’t able to leave the house for a long time. My finger is still damaged – I don’t think I’ll ever be able to use it properly again.
“Ryan was all I had known for years and I had to build my life back up from nothing.
“I’ve finally got my own flat now and trying to have a fresh start. I hope sharing my story can help other women get out of a bad relationship before it’s too late.”